Dear Friends,

Greetings! Over the past year and more, the world has faced upheaval like never before, full of unsettling emotions such as confusion, suspicion, uncertainty, anxiety and fear. It is like living inside a riddle! We can no longer tell who is right and who is wrong, or what the truth is.

From June 26 to August 14, every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (Hong Kong time), a group of experienced psychologists, seminary professors and pastors will hold a series of free, three-hour online lectures and workshops. Together, we will journey inward to explore "The Enigmatic Truth," discover our true selves and find a place of true safety in life.

This Annual Conference is organized by Rapha Foundation and co-organized by [公益電視], Christian Communications Ltd. and Rapha Canada Christian Development Centre.

The first lecture, "The Roundabout with No Exit — Stepping Out of the Smokescreen of Going in Circles," will be presented by Dr. Wong Wan Yin, Dr. Ho Sin Pan and Dr. Katherine Kot. They will guide participants to explore and analyze the paths their lives have taken, in the hope of leading everyone out of seemingly endless vicious cycles and out of the smokescreen that keeps them from seeing clearly.

Upcoming Lectures and Workshops (Hong Kong time):

July 3 — Workshop 1: Living in Deception?
Hong Kong | Saturday, July 3, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (July 2) – 12:30 a.m. (July 3)

Description: "I remember it clearly!" "I saw it with my own eyes!" "I'm not lying to you — it's absolutely true!" Behind our memories, recollections and impressions is an unseen mechanism called neuroception. When it is activated, it automatically adjusts the information we take in, producing reactions like the ones above. How can we see accurately? Where does this mechanism come from? How can we avoid being tripped up by it, so that it no longer controls us? This is an opportunity for trauma recovery! This workshop will guide participants to:
1. Understand neural pathways
2. Practise Focusing to change the direction and speed of these pathways
3. Explore how values and beliefs are formed
4. Explore the relationship between the body and sensations/beliefs, and appropriate interventions

Speaker: Dr. Wong Yip Chung Ping (Associate Head, Department of Psychology, Gratia Christian College; Satir Model therapist and supervisor; [簡約身心治療法] instructor)
Preview:

July 10 — Lecture 2: When Truth Is False and False Is True — Touring the Ecosystem of Truth and Illusion
Hong Kong | Saturday, July 10, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (July 9) – 12:30 a.m. (July 10)

Description: The truth often brings pain, so human nature tends to choose to live in comfortable illusions. When are we willing to step in and face the truth, and when would we rather stay in the comfort of illusion? This may be the fact you most need to know.
Speakers: Prof. Thomas In-sing Leung (President, Culture Regeneration Research Society) | Dr. Katherine Kot (Founder and Honorary Executive Director, Rapha Foundation)
Preview:

July 17 — Workshop 2: The Mystery of Losing Focus — Wandering Between Mystery and Truth
Hong Kong | Saturday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (July 16) – 12:30 a.m. (July 17)

Description: Dr. Stephen Porges developed Polyvagal Theory. When we sense cues of danger, we disconnect, lose awareness and go into a state of self-protection, and emotions we have long suppressed can erupt at the slightest trigger. This workshop will teach the process of facing the truth: how to handle this critical and dangerous moment and turn it into an opportunity for life change.
Speaker: Dr. Katherine Kot (Founder and Honorary Executive Director, Rapha Foundation)
Preview:

July 24 — Workshop 3: The Truth Amid Polarized Debate — A Psychoanalytic Look at Living with Those Who Disagree
Hong Kong | Saturday, July 24, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (July 23) – 12:30 a.m. (July 24)

Description: As the saying goes, "seeing is believing." Most people assume that what we hear and see is the truth itself. But psychoanalysis tells us that the world we experience is often not the whole truth. It is coloured by our early experiences, so some experiences are amplified while others are filtered out. As a result, when we meet people whose beliefs and life experiences differ from ours, we may see the same thing in completely opposite ways, even to the point of talking past each other. Instead of fighting to the bitter end, how should we view the truth? How can we communicate with those who disagree with us and live with them in peace?
Speaker: Dr. Hui Tak Him (Psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice and spiritual director, Soul Weaver)
Preview:

July 31 — Lecture 3: The Truth About Ugliness and Evil — Finding the Switch Point: A Turning Point When the Truth Comes to Light
Hong Kong | Saturday, July 31, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (July 30) – 12:30 a.m. (July 31)

Description: Revealing the truth can be a major opportunity for life transformation. It requires a fascinating, maze-like exploration, because within us lies a temptation we both resist and welcome, one that leaves us lost and too afraid to move forward.
Speakers: Dr. Wong Yip Chung Ping (Associate Head, Department of Psychology, Gratia Christian College; Satir Model therapist and supervisor; [簡約身心治療法] instructor) | Dr. Katherine Kot (Founder and Honorary Executive Director, Rapha Foundation)
Preview:

August 7 — Workshop 4: Leaving or Staying — Emigrating to a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
Hong Kong | Saturday, August 7, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (August 6) – 12:30 a.m. (August 7)

Description: Amid the uncertainties of life and political change, we search for a safe haven in turbulent times. Where is home? How do we decide whether to leave or stay? Where is the land flowing with milk and honey that we long for? This workshop will explore what a land flowing with milk and honey means, look closely with you at the costs and gains behind every decision, and invite friends who have emigrated to the UK, the US, Canada and Australia to share their journeys.
Speakers: Dr. Yeung Hing Kau (Honorary Academic Dean, Vancouver, Canadian Chinese School of Theology) | Dr. Katherine Kot (Founder and Honorary Executive Director, Rapha Foundation)
Preview:

August 14 — Workshop 5: Encountering the Grace of Truth in Suffering
Hong Kong | Saturday, August 14, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Toronto | 9:30 p.m. (August 13) – 12:30 a.m. (August 14)

Description: Uncovering the truth about how we have been deceived can make us want to pull back. Some would rather live with the pain of being deceived than face the harsh realities of life and the pain and hurt they bring. Yet facing the truth can bring a turning point in life, a way out toward grace in the midst of suffering. Through the testimonies of different lives, this workshop will help participants see the paradox at the heart of life's contradictions: suffering and blessing are two edges of the same sword.
Speaker: Dr. Katherine Kot (Founder and Honorary Executive Director, Rapha Foundation)
Preview: